It was the Best of Jack. It was the Worst of Jack.
All encompassed in the same week.
The Best of Jack, which should be studied by President Obama, every Democratic governor, and all D legislators, was his calling-out of all the undistinguished Sussex County Rethugs who have been trying to score political points off the travails of the Rte. 113 bypass. Markell’s response?: “You have problems with the bypass? No problemo, you don’t get no steenkin’ bypass.”
Since, of course, Sussex County legislators were the ones who clamored for the bypass to reduce congestion, it should only make sense that bitching from those selfsame legislators should call a halt to the project. Let non-entities like Dave Wilson, Ruth Briggs King, Joe Booth, et al, explain to their constituents that they’ll just have to live with the congestion.
To quote Markell from another News-Journal article:
“This is a project which could literally mean the investment of many hundreds of millions of dollars in Sussex County, and it’s not one we want to go forward with absent a broad consensus from the elected legislators,” Markell said after meeting with all of Sussex County’s House and Senate delegation in his Legislative Hall office.“Should the Sussex County delegation decide to take ownership and leadership with respect to this project in the coming months, I will reconsider my decision,” Markell said. “If not, there are other important projects throughout the state where these resources can and will be re-directed.”
It’s easy to say that you want and need a project to curb congestion, especially when Sussex County Council is chock-full of those who believe in Development Uber Alles.
It’s quite another to get involved in the detail work to ensure that the route is minimally invasive. And that’s something that Sussex County legislators are unwilling to do. Especially when they can blame DELDOT instead. Make no mistake, if the bypass is not built, it will be their fault, not DELDOT’s fault. And Markell showed great policy and political instincts in making this gaggle of grandstanders own the ultimate success or failure of this project.
The Worst of Jack was also out in full force. Governor Markell has said that he’ll embrace any and all ‘good ideas’ to address Delaware’s budget shortfall. Unless those good ideas include taxing Delaware ‘s Most Fortunate at a little higher rate. Which leads me to only one conclusion: When Jack Markell talks of shared sacrifice, he is only talking about those who can least afford to sacrifice. Delaware’s wealthiest citizens, who have had their tax rates slashed over the last 30 years, will be expected to sacrifice NOTHING. Better to try to squeeze more blood from the stones of those on Medicaid than to expect Delaware’s Most Fortunate to have to ante up yet another penny of their ill-gotten gains. You see, In Jack’s World, apparently the Fortunate Few will be the engine for jobs creation. To which I ask, Where are the bleeping jobs?
I’m not asking for the General Assembly to undo 30 years of tax cuts for the wealthy, I understand that politics is the art of the possible. The legislation that Rep. Kowalko introduced in the previous General Assembly didn’t do that, either. We’re just talking about a couple of higher brackets for Delaware’s highest income-earners.
As it is, Governor Markell’s proposal would balance the budget by:
“slashing spending by $100.6 million, with the deepest cuts coming to the preserving farm land and open space, school bus transportation, higher education and social services budgets. Markell called the reductions “painful cuts, but necessary cuts.” Overall spending grew even with the cuts.”“This is a difficult but financially responsible budget,” Markell said in an interview.”
While it may be ‘financially responsible’, it is socially irresponsible. Among the cuts:
“The governor followed the recommendation of DHSS and proposed cutting $4.5 million in cash assistance for a adults who are unemployable, destitute and sometimes homeless. About 3,500 single adults receive checks of about $94 each month (corrected in the N-J) through the welfare program, according to DHSS.”
Yep, it’s essential that the unemployable, destitute and homeless share in the pain while the Fortunate Few share the champagne. And that’s but one example. $94 a bleeping month for our most destitute citizens. As Richard Nixon said to Hunter Thompson in the rest-room scene in “Where the Buffalo Roam”, “Fuck the doomed.” I sure didn’t expect that from Jack Markell, who I’ve enthusiastically supported.
Higher education?:
The University of Delaware, Delaware State University and Delaware Technical and Community College would share a $6.52 million reduction in their annual appropriation.
Yep, who needs a 21st Century Workforce if it comes at the expense of people who don’t have to work b/c they’re rich?
And protecting the safety net?:
Totalling just those three examples, we’re talking about $13.3 mill out of a budget of $3.4 billion. A pittance, really.
Governor Markell has prioritized cutting the social safety net and cutting higher education over restoring some simple fairness to a tax code that places those earning $60,000 a year in the same tax bracket as the filthy-rich oligarchs on the hill.
For an otherwise progressive governor and a (far less progressive) General Assembly to support such an inequitable policy makes me wonder just what makes these public servants tick.
A personal plea to Jack Markell: Do you REALLY want your legacy to be ‘He cut funding to the neediest, but he preserved lower tax rates on Delaware’s most comfortable’?
If not, it’s not too late to change.